Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [148]
Behind the church, a Bahnar orphanage looks after children of all ages in spartan but well-cared-for surroundings. Visitors are welcome to look around. There is another branch of the orphanage tucked away down by the river off Ly Thai To, which receives fewer visitors, so you’re likely to get a warm welcome. At 56 Tran Hung Dao is a Catholic seminary and minorities museum (Mon–Fri 8–11am & 2–4pm; free) that is worth a look for its impressive architecture and small museum, which contains examples of minority wood carvings, work implements and clothes, as well as a history of Christianity in the hills of Vietnam. It doesn’t stick rigidly to its opening hours, so if you can’t find anyone around, contact staff at Kon Tum Tourist (see "Practicalities") to arrange a visit.
One good thing about Kon Tum is that you don’t have to go far to get a feel of a minority village, as there are a couple of Bahnar villages on the eastern fringe of town. Following Nguyen Hué to its eastern end brings you to Kon Tum Konam, while following Tran Hung Dao to the east takes you directly to Kon Tum Kopong, where there is a wonderful example of a rong, or communal house, which is such a striking feature of Bahnar villages. Built on sturdy stilts with a platform and entrance at either end (or in the middle, as is the case here); the interior is generally made of split bamboo and protected by a towering thatched roof, usually about 15m high. The rong is used as a venue for festivals and village meetings, and as a village court at which anyone found guilty of a tribal offence has to ritually kill a pig and a chicken, and must apologize in front of the village. Villagers at Kon Tum Kopong are big on basket-weaving, and you might chance upon locals cutting bamboo into thin strips and crafting them into sturdy baskets, which they sell very cheaply in the local market.
The Bahnar minority people live in villages around Kon Tum
The central highlands | Through the highlands | Kon Tum and the minority villages |
Practicalities
Kon Tum’s bus station is to the northwest of town on Phan Dinh Phung. From here, it’s best to take a xe om to the town centre, which is about 3km away. Currency exchange is possible at the BIDV Bank at 1 Tran Phu, and there’s an ATM at the Agribank at 88 Tran Phu. The post office is at 205 Le Hong Phong. There are several places offering internet access, including an outlet at 202 Ba Trieu.
Kon Tum Tourist (060/386 2703, ktourist@dng.vnn.vn) is at 2 Phan Dinh Phung, just north of the bridge over the river, on the ground floor of the Dakbla Hotel. They can organize a wide range of tours, including trekking, river trips and traditional dance performances, and offer information on new areas opening up in the surrounding region. Even if you don’t book a tour through them, they’re happy to give independent advice. Most hotels rent bicycles and motorbikes.
The central highlands | Through the highlands | Kon Tum and the minority villages | Practicalities |
Accommodation
The town’s fanciest hotel is the Indochine (060/386 3334, 060/386 3961; US$31–75), at 30 Bach Dang, which enjoys a prime riverside location. The carpeted rooms are very cosy and those facing the river have great views. On a quiet street near the town centre, the Bich Lan, at 233 Tran Hung Dao (060/391 3913, www.hotelkontum.com; US$11–20), is a newish place that has good-sized, well-equipped rooms (some with computers) and friendly staff. Probably the best deal in town, however, is the Huu Nghi, 69 Ba Trieu (060/391 1560, 060/391 1556; US$11–20), whose huge rooms are fitted with beautiful furnishings, though breakfast is